Ingram's Magazine: November 2014

Hopefully you were busy watching the Royals play in the post-season and not focusing on the stock market. But if you were switching the channel over to CNBC (shame on you) or surveying the market, you would have seen a…more

Target, Home Depot, Apple—most recently, they share the dubious distinction of being the victims of security breaches. Whether it’s Target and Home Depot getting hacked and exposing access to thousands of credit card accounts or Apple’s iCloud being penetrated to…more

If you’re a business owner or executive who’s sleeping like a baby at night, Rob Arnold offers this elbow to the ribs that might keep you up for a spell: “The interconnectedness of all business activities today, coupled with the…more

Are you being forced to sell someone else’s way? Are you uncomfortable using a “system” of selling?I read a report yesterday stating that 70 percent of all sales systems and sales initiatives fail. I have no idea who created that…more

Tim Hickok surveyed the rubble of a residential building sector after the real-estate crash of 2007, and the smoke rising from those ashes smelled like . . . opportunity. For the past three years, Hickok has been hip-deep in apartment…more

Baseball MemoriesWhat a great editorial from Joe Sweeney [“I Remember It Like It Was Yesterday,” Ingram’s, October 2014]. I read it aloud to a great Cardinal fan, along with my aunt, Sr. Olivia Marie, Order of St. Francis, Our Lady…more

“It’s got to be small startups and small businesses that are starting,” said Kevin Barth, president and COO of Commerce Bank in Kansas City. “You’ve got to always be helping the next business get started here.” Barth was discussing the…more

MissouriBuchanan County Jobless Rate Now Under 5St. Joseph continues to be one of Missouri’s shining examples on the employment front, with a September jobless rate of 4.9 for the month, figures from the Missouri Department of Economic Development show. That…more

Buying equipment before year-end to take advantage of accelerated tax depreciation deductions has been a normal move for business owners in recent years. Unless late legislation enhances this option, the Section 179 equipment expensing limit for 2014 is $25,000, and…more

Not too far over the horizon, we’ll be looking at 2015. But before we get into the crush of the holidays, it seems fitting that we take stock of things for which we should give thanks.As a business magazine wrapping…more

Bright and gleaming buildings, lush green lawns and people-packed sidewalks are just some of the imagery painting Downtown Kansas City these days. It’s a vision that was lying heavy in the minds of urban planners, city councils and downtown leadership…more

Downtown Kansas City has seen a lot of changes in the past decade and a half. It has traded in a drab facade, empty parking lots and the occasional rolling tumbleweed for a colorful and vibrant place where the community…more

Maybe you run a pizzeria or a shoe store, or you’re an executive with a grocery chain or a hardware store. Maybe you’re the office manager for a law firm, pharmacy or an accounting firm. Your goal in business is…more

The successful 21st-century workplace is highly dependent on individuals who have strong skills in reading, writing, math, verbal communication and digital literacy. Attaining these skills is most meaningful when they are developed through a relevant workplace context, aligned with specific…more

Each autumn, the Crossroads district of Downtown comes alive with the sights and sounds of successful businesses, and this year was no different. Hundreds of guests gathered on a blustery afternoon and evening Nov. 7 at Ingram’s offices to celebrate…more

When your otherwise credible electric company rewards you for not using its services and does so by posting smiley faces on your “Home Energy Report,” you get the unsettling sense that something is amiss in the world of power. As…more

November13 | THURSDAY“Attitude of Gratitude”HappyBottoms, which bills itself as Kansas City’s Diaper Bank, will hold its third annual Attitude of Gratitude: A Thanks Giving Event, at the Roasterie’s Bean Hangar event space from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. It starts with…more

The timing simply couldn’t have been better: One of the nation’s most iconic basketball venues, celebrating its 60th year, and another college basketball season just around the corner. That was the backdrop Oct. 27 when thousands of University of Kansas…more